This axis brings together 1 instance of the use of this verse in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
Text of the Verse as Cited
No indeed, it is a word he speaks
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, what distinction does Shahrur draw between the word and speech, and what function does it serve in his argument concerning articulation and elucidation?
The verse occurs in Surat al-Mu’minun (The Believers), verse 100. Shahrur employs it as an example of the possibility of applying “word” to a meaningful sentence, then distinguishes “speech” according to whether it is a single expression with a meaning or a combination of expressions. The verse serves his transition to a discussion of articulation and elucidation, which signify more than mere sound or expression.
Shahrur presents al-Mu’minun 100 as an example that “word” may be applied to meaningful sentences, not only to a single expression. He distinguishes “speech” in terms of structure: it may be a single expression denoting a meaning, or a compound consisting of more than one expression. Within the argument, the verse serves to introduce the distinction between sounds or expressions, on the one hand, and articulation and elucidation joined to meaning, on the other.
Citation and Location
Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism — p. 233.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation does not establish that the relationship between “word” and “speech” is one of synonymy, or a denial of synonymy, in a general sense; rather, it presents a definition and a functional distinction between them in this passage.
- The citation does not establish a comprehensive interpretation of al-Mu’minun 100 or of its full Qur’anic context.
- The reference to articulation and elucidation here is part of an argumentative construction in the attached passage, not an independent judgment concerning all uses of these terms in the Qur’an.
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Brief Reading
The verse is used to distinguish between word and speech, establishing Shahrur’s analysis of the concept of articulation and elucidation.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
Related Concepts
- Expression and speech: 1
- Expression: 1
- Speech: 1
- Articulation: 1
- Elucidation: 1
Its Place in the Network of Concepts
It belongs to the network that distinguishes between expressions and meanings within the Qur’an.
Role of the Verse in the Argument
- Example: 1
Instances of Use
- Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 233: He cites it in making the linguistic distinction between word and speech, in order to establish his analysis of the concept of articulation and elucidation in the Qur’an.
- Concept: Expression and speech
- Function of the verse here: Example
- Textual citation: “A word is thus speech, whether singular or compound … as in His—Exalted is He—saying: {No indeed, it is a word he speaks} (al-Mu’minun 100).”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.